Super Mario: Quest for the Zodiac Stones
by geminidrake
Summary: Rated for language. I am reposting this story. I have decided to return it to you all. I'm sorry for taking it away. Read on.
1. That's Just the Way it is

**Super Mario - Quest for the Zodiac Stones**

_**Prologue:** That's Just the Way it is_

Months have passed since the quest in Rogueport to prevent the Shadow Queen from reviving. Princess Peach was safe, Bowser was still angsting about losing to Mario yet again, and Mario and Luigi were just being themselves. Luigi was reading his "best selling" books in his room while Mario was reading an e-mail he received from Goombella and Vivian on his Mailbox SP. Seems like they were all doing well for themselves, as was Koops, Bombarry, Ms. Mowz, Flurrie, and Yoshi. Things were once again normal in Mario's life, at long last, until he heard Parakarry, the Parakoopa Mailman, shout outside his door...

"Mail call!"

Mario's eyes widened as he heard the familiar sound of "mail call." Everytime that happened it would mean that Peach would ask them to see her and she would be in trouble. He sighed and watched as Luigi walked outside to get the letter. Seconds later, he ran back inside.

"Hey, bro, it's a letter from --"

"I know who it's from. It's from Princess Peach, isn't it?" Mario asked.

"Ye-yeah. How did you guess?"

"No one else sends us mail, Luigi, besides people who have read your books."

Luigi smiled modestly. He couldn't help it. He was somewhat of a hero in Rogueport as well as Mario. So what if he didn't defeat the Shadow Queen and save Peach from being a demon? Big deal. He was an author of sorts and soon to be in the movie of his quest. Mario sighed again as Luigi handed him the letter. He was thinking it was going to read "Hey, Mario, it's party time. Let's go have some punch and then I get kidnapped again." Instead, the letter's contents' shocked him:

"Dear Mario and Luigi:  
I'm sure you figured it out already, this is Princess Peach. Don't worry, nothing bad is going to happen... I hope. Anyway, I just wanted to call and tell you that, well, I'm engaged. When I returned to the Mushroom Kingdom the Chanceller introduced me a prince from a faraway kingdom namedDarius of the Sterling Kingdom. He's everything I had hoped for. He's strong, he's brave, he's handsome, and he has aspecial sparkle in his eyes that takes mybreath away.I want you to come to the castle for the engagement party and meet him. I can't wait for you to arrive. I will see you when you get here.

Signed, Princess Peach"

He couldn't believe this. He put the letter down and walked away from the table. Luigi looked worried, then decided to read the letter. He too was shocked to read it. He walked after Mario, who was outside the house, sitting down near the pond near the flower garden. Luigi sat down next to his older brother.

"I take it you read the letter also?" Mario asked.

"Ye-yeah, I did. What's the big deal? Peach is getting married. I thought you'd be happy for her." Luigi said. "Are you upset because you thought Peach would've married you instead?"

Mario lowered his head into his knees.

"It's just that I've been protecting her for a long time. I've saved her from Bowser on countless occassions, we both, with help from Mallow, Geno, AND Bowser, saved the world's wishes. I even saved her from becoming the world's worse nightmare. After all that THIS is how I'm rewarded?"

"Mario, listen, I'm sure that the Mushroom Kingdom would've loved to see you marry Peach. That's what I was expecting as well. But the thing is, we're not royalty, we've never been royalty. It just the way it is."

Mario knew Luigi was right. He couldn't ignore the fact that Peach was indeed going to be married to someone of her own class. He was somewhat of her guardian, her knight, her bodyguard to her. In reality, he was just a plumber from the streets of Brooklyn. There was no way he would've had a chance with her. Absolutely not. This feeling felt like hell to the poor plumber in red. Luigi sighed and patted Mario on the back, trying to comfort him.

"WHAT!" came a roaring scream.

The scream was coming from the throne room of Bowser's Keep, the home to the diabolical Koopa King, Bowser. He seemed furious for some apparent reason. He was huffing and puffing so bad that fire and smoke was exiting from his nostrils. Cammy Koopa, as well as a few Koopa Soldiers, were scattered about all over the ruined throne room. Cammy grabbed her broomstick and steadily rose to her feet, her legs trembling with fear. She knew why Bowser was bad. He was holding a piece of paper in his hand. Not just any piece of paper, but a letter.

"My king, please, try to calm down. You shouldn't be getting yourself all worked up over a girl --"

"SHE'S NOT JUST ANY GIRL, CAMMY, YOU STUPID, OLD HAG! THIS IS PRINCESS PEACH WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE! AND SHE'S GETTING MARRIED TO SOME CHUMP! WHAT ABOUT ME!" Bowser barked, fire escaping his mouth as he screamed.

How was Cammy going to answer that? Where was ol' Kamek when you needed him? The old Magikoopa hasn't been the same since Mario teamed with the Yoshi clan to pulverize Bowser years back on Yoshi Island. But Cammy was no Kamek. Kamek could calm Bowser down in a split second. She tried to open her mouth to say something but then Bowser started to shoot more fire from his mouth in a rage. The fire was headed right for the old Magikoopa. She yelped and tried to fly off on her broom but the fire hit her and knocked her against a wall.

"SOMEONE GET MY CLOWN COPTER READY! I'M GONNA SHOW THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DON'T GET THE WIFE I WANT!"

"But your scaly-ness... cough hack You've been doing that for quite sometime now... cough cough..." Cammy said, scraping herself off the wall.

Cammy knew that she shouldn't have said that. Once again Bowser let loose a stream of fire onto the old crone, making her scream in pain. The enraged Koopa King stormed out of the castle as Cammy fell backwards from the wall.

"Note to self, keep your old mouth shut, Cammy."

The people of Nimbus Kingdom, as well as the other residence of the Mushroom Kingdom, as well as Rogueport, were excited to hear the news of Princess Peach being married. Some were disappointed that it wasn't to Mario. Some thought that it was the right choice to make. Others thought that Mario should've proposed when he had the chance. Yet nobody knew of Sterling Kingdom, or of their prince, Darius. A few people in the Mushroom Kingdom were assuming thatDarius wasn't a prince, more like a princess, and that Peach went "loose." But from the description that a female toad told them he sounded like a miracle from the Star Road itself. Mario didn't seem to enjoy hearing people talk about the engagement. A part of him didn't want to go to Peach's engagement party, but he had to. He was Peach's best friend for years. There was no way he would disappoint her. Hours passed and the people whom Peach and Mario met on their journeys were coming into the Mushroom Kingdom, talking about the engagemnt. He even got a comment fromMs. Mowzabout it.

"Hey, if you don't care for Peach anymore I'll marry ya." she joked, kissing Mario on the cheek.

That didn't make Mario feel comfortable either. He groaned about it, kicking the dirt on the ground. He wanted to know what made this "Darius" so special that Peach had to marry him over the one who saved her on multiple occassions. As the time drew near, Luigi and Mario walked to the castle with their gifts. Luigi was thinking about giving Peach copies of his books while Mario was going to give her a Mailbox SP, one similar to his. As they entered the castle it was crammed with people from all over the Mushroom Kingdom and Rogueport. Mario wanted to try and find Peach before the announcement. He set his present on the table with the rest of them while Luigi mingled with the guests, bragging about his journey to save Princess Eclair. Prince Mallow, soon to be king, was engaged as well toa lovely princess named Yun. Frogfucius was pleased to hear that.

Mario was pleasedto hear about Mallow's life, but he still wanted to find Peach. He headed toward her room when a voice stopped him.

"Mario? Is that you?" came a female's voice.

Mario slowly turned around and saw a young woman that resembled Peach standing behind him. This girl was wearing a yellow dress instead of pink, and her hair was brunette instead of blond. She had a white flower in her hair, along with a similar tiara.

"Daisy?" Mario asked.

Daisy, the girl,giggled excitedly and hugged the plumber. She hadn't seen Mario since him and Luigi went to her kingdom, Sarasaland, and saved her from the space demon, Tatanga.

"How have you been, Daisy?" he asked.

"Oh, just fine, really. I came here to give my support for my cousin during this engagement. By the way, who was the name of the person she's marrying?" Daisy asked.

"His name is Darius of the Sterling Kingdom. Tell me, Daisy, have you heard of the Sterling Kingdom?"

Daisy looked at him buffled. She was as confused as he was. She had never heard of the Sterling Kingdom at all. She shook her head, this disappointing Mario. He had hoped that Daisy knew a thing or two about this mysterious Sterling Kingdom.

"Sorry, Mario. I know that's not what you wanted to hear, but..."

"It's okay, Daisy. It's okay. I understand. I was going to ask Peach about him in the first..."

Mario was interrupted by the sound of fanfare. Apparently Peach and Darius were already on their way to the front of the castle. Mario and Daisy quickly ran to the front as fast as their feet could take them. There she stood at the top of the staircase, dressed in a beautiful silver dress. Next to her was a tall man that resembled the prince of Fire Emblem, Marth, except his hair was silver and his eyes were silver as well. He wore a silver tuxedo, grasping Peach, hand-in-hand. Peach looked radiant. The citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom, Nimbus Kingdom, and Rogueport bowed before the two, as did Mario, Daisy, and Luigi. Mario looked at the young man standing by Peach, the man whom he was feeling total rage toward. Total jealousy, even. His hand balled up into a fist, wanting to launch a Fire Orb the size of Bowser's shell at him. Peach gave the hand signal to the people to raise. They did as commanded.

"Subjects of the Mushroom Kingdom. Friends and allies to us all. We bid you welcome to a new day and era to our glorious reign. Days ago, I met this man, Prince Darius of the Sterling Kingdom. Together, hand-in-hand, in holy matrimony, we will unite our kingdoms into one. Together, the Mushroom Kingdom AND the Sterling Kingdom will know peace forevermore." Peach said, the people applauding.

"Foremost, for those of you unfamiliar with the Sterling Kingdom tradition for weddings, Prince Darius is to hand his bride in true affection the symbol of peace and unification. The legendary crystal, the _Tierkreis_. With it shall the new age of peace begin."

The subjects applauded in celebration. Darius bowed his head to the people attending the party and spoke to a tall, young, blond man. The man nodded and walked to the back of the castle. Seconds later, the man returned, holding a beautiful crystal in hand. It was a round, silver crystal with a golden circle etched onto it. The circle itself was something Mario and Luigi recognized. The symbols of the constellations... no, the Twelve Zodiacs: Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, and Saggitarius. The man handed Darius the crystal, which started to glow a white light in his hands. Peach held out her hands and touched the crystal as well. The crystal then flashed pink. She flashed Darius a smile that Mario had only seen her do in front of him. To his surprise, he saw Peach closing in on Darius for a long, passionate kiss. Before it could be made, the north wall exploded. The people screamed in fear and ran. Peach was launched into the opposite direction of the wall, crashing against a table and shattering a vase. Darius gasped and looked at the source of the explosion. Right on cue, the King Koopa himself, Bowser, in his Clown Copter, emerged through the hole he had made, Cammy flying by him. Mario, Luigi, Daisy, Peach, Mallow, and Darius glared at him. How dare Bowser ruin this glorious day? But secretly in mind, Mario was waiting for this to happen. It would be a cold day in hell before he let anyone else kiss Princess Peach.

"Did someone forget about the Koopa King here! HUH!" Bowser laughed.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Dope! I forgot to add a disclaimer at the beginning. Oh well. As you figured, I don't own Mario whatsoever. However, Darius and the Tierkreis is an original idea of mind. Just so people know, for all you new generation Mario peeps, I added familiar characters such as Mallow, Frogfucius, Daisy, Kamek, and Tatanga just so people can remember the good ol' days of Mario. Don't expect Paulina, though. Sorry. Read and review, please.

PS: Whaddya guys think of Mario's little jealousy thing going on? I don't know why, but when I wrote this chapter it reminded me of _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_. Maybe because of the whole "I'm so P.O.ed right now I could blow someone up," kind of deal. But I'll let you guys give your opinion. No flaming, though. Don't make me hurt you, lol.


	2. To You

Mario speaks:

_"I know that I should be happy for her. But I can't be. She is getting married to a prince that no one has ever heard of. This prince from a kingdom no one has heard of. Why is it that SHE should marry him? Why should Peach marry a stranger that suddenly appears in our kingdom? Why was I not chosen to be her husband? Why? I guess it doesn't matter. After all, Luigi was right for one thing, I'm not royalty, and I'll never be royalty. I never had a chance with Peach at all. Who was I kidding? Like the dear princess have her prince. I'm nothing to her but a bodyguard anyway. I just hope Bowser doesn't hurt her though, just that prince Darius."_

_**Chapter One:** To You_

Bowser and Kammy Koopa had invaded the Mushroom Kingdom castle yet again. Mario, Daisy, Luigi, and Mallow quickly gathered, Frogfucius getting Yun, Mallow's fiancee, out of harm's way. The tall, young, blond haired attendant of Prince Darius ran to Princess Peach and helped her to her feet. Darius was staring a hole through the intruding Koopa King. Bowser was still cackling from when he invaded the castle. He stopped as he saw Darius and Peach running to him. Not only was Mario infuriated by this, but Bowser as well.

"So, you're this Prince _Darius_ everyone talks about so much?" Bowser asked, pointing a claw at the young prince.

"And if I am?" Darius said, his voice sounding like a British accent.

"I demand that you surrender Princess Peach to me! She doesn't deserve to marry a chumpstain like you! Now hand her over!" Bowser shouted.

Darius cracked a grin on his face and silently chuckled. Kammy and Bowser looked at him in confusion, as were the others in attendance. Darius looked at Bowser with determination in his eyes.

"Why should I hand my bride to you? She doesn't love you! So what if you helped her save the world's wishes from some psychopathic blacksmith? That doesn't prove that she likes you!" Darius shouted at Bowser.

"Watch you mouth, little man!" Kammy shouted, pointing her wand at Darius.

Mario, Luigi, Mallow, and Daisy quickly ran up the stairs to help Peach and Darius. Before they could make it, Bowser threw a bob-omb at the group, destroying the stairs and causing the four to spiral to the ground. Peach gasped and noticed the _Tierkreis _Crystal lying near the broken coffee table that Peach has crashed into. She ran to it and picked it up, it shining pink in her grasp. Bowser and Kammy looked at where the light was coming from, as was Darius. Peach ran at Bowser and held the crystal in the air, as if she knew what kind of powers the crystal had.

"What the hell is that thing?" Kammy asked.

"Your destruction..." Darius whispered.

Peach held the _Tierkreis_ crystal in front of herself, pointing it at Bowser and Kammy. Within seconds, a dome of pink energy surrounded the Mushroom Kingdom, as if an explosion was occurring. But then, the _Tierkreis_ started to turn black. Darius looked baffled at the sight of this. Mario, Luigi, Daisy, and Mallow awoke just in time to see it. Peach gasped and dropped the crystal but it started to float in mid-air. A strange hum was resonating from it, as well as an incantation of sorts.

"_De tierras lejos y tiempo y espacio  
ahora tómela de este nuestro lugar  
uno que las detenciones así que deben permanecer  
la envían de nuevo a su dominio._

_De tierras lejos y tiempo y espacio  
ahora tómelas de este nuestro lugar  
dos que la detención así que debe permanecer  
las envían de nuevo a su dominio._

_Oiga estas palabras, oiga la rima  
Preste atención a la esperanza dentro de mi mente  
Envíeme de nuevo a donde hallazgo de I'll  
qué deseo en lugar y mido el tiempo._

_En este lugar y sobre esta hora  
invitamos la energía antigua  
Abra la puerta con tiempo y el espacio  
crea una trayectoria a otro lugar_."

With those words said, the dome of pink energy turned black and dark electricity crackled within it. Bowser and Kammy screamed in fright as a bolt of lightning nearly struck them.

"What is going on here!" Mallow shouted.

"I have no idea!" Luigi shouted.

"This can't be good! This definitely is not good!" Daisy cried.

Mario looked at Peach, who was backing away from the _Tierkreis_. Darius looked at the crystal, then at Peach. He quickly ran to her and grabbed her hand. The attendant ran to them as well.

"Your Highness, what is going on here?" he asked, his voice too sounding British.

"I don't know, Kalan!" Darius replied.

"You should know! That crystal is your kingdom's treasure!" Peach shouted.

She shrieked as a bolt of lightning struck Darius in the back, rendering him unconscious. Kalan tried his best to awaken the fallen prince but to no avail. Mario and his group had to find a way to get up to Peach. Suddenly, a staircase formed of clouds appeared where the broken one had been. They turned to the doorway to see Yun holding her hands out.

"Go! Climb the stairs! I can't keep them there for much longer!" she cried.

They did as was instructed. They quickly ran up the stairs of clouds to Peach, Kalan, and the fallen Darius. Kammy and Bowser were now hiding in the Clown Copter, trying to avoid being blasted by the lightning. Mario ran to Peach as fast as his legs could carry him. He held out his hand toward her, as Peach held hers out to his. Before they could touch, the _Tierkreis_ shattered. Twelve beams of colored light flew from the shattered crystal and out the windows of the castle. As all twelve disappeared a blinding white light covered them.

Mario felt like he was falling from the sky like he did when Bowser blasted him with the Star Rod. He didn't seem to care if he was going to die. He kept thinking to himself that he had lost everything he had dreamed for in the Mushroom Kingdom. But now his chance at peace was finished. He didn't care anymore. The last thing he could remember doing was trying to reach out to Peach. He should've known that something like this would've happened.

He was guessing that when... no, not when... if he ever woke up that he would be told to rescue the Princess Peach again. Why should he bother? She had her knight in shining armor to save her now. What would she want with a lowly plumber now? Forget her. Forget Peach, forget Darius, forget the Mushroom Kingdom, forget it all! He was just being a tool for poor little Peach and the rest of these mushroom headed bastards. Screw them all! They can take care of themselves! They didn't need Mario to kick around anymore. That was the first thing Mario wanted to do as soon as he woke up, find a way back to Brooklyn and live the rest of his miserable life there.

"Hey, Mario! Wake up! Are you okay!" came a voice.

Mario's vision slowly returned to him as he slowly opened his eyes. He looked around, he was in his house. He looked at who was calling for him. It was Toad, Peach's attendant. What was he doing here?

"Mario, thank God you're okay! I thought... we all thought you were lost to all of us!" Toad cried, hugging Mario.

"Toad? What's going on? Did Peach get kidnapped again?" Mario asked, unenthusiaticly.

"No. Not at all. We're all fine. Peach is still here in Mushroom Kingdom, as is Prince Darius, Prince Mallow, Princess Yun and Daisy. We're all safe. Even Bowser and Kammy are safe. It's just that... well... it's just that..."

"It's just what!" Mario shouted.

Toad was getting frightened. He had never seen Mario act like this before.

"Well... look outside. You'll see for yourself." Toad muttered.

Mario got out of his bed and looked outside. His eyes widened as he saw what was wrong. The sky was a reddish-purple as if it were signaling the end of the world. The grass, which was once green and full of life, was now gray and desolate, as were the trees, the flowers, everything. What had happened to the Mushroom Kingdom?

* * *

**Author's Note:** Yet again I forget my disclaimer at the beginning. Oh well, you get the picture, right? Anyway, the title of this chapter is based off the image song from Mayuko Aoki, "To You," for the Final Fantasy X-2. If you would like to hear the song, just ask me via e-mail or review and I'll e-mail it to you. Also, what did you think of this chapter? Review, please. And remember, no flamin', that's Bowser's job.


	3. Gravity

**Author's Note and Disclaimer:** Never owned Mario of any kind. Never will. It would be cool if I did though.

**To Animefangirl11:** Thanks for enjoying the story. I really appreciated the review. Also, you never know if Luigi might join up in the adventure (Wink, wink).

**To DippyDaBugBear:** Thank you for pointing out my error with _Kammy_. Grubba and Kid Yoshi, well, wait and see. You never know.

* * *

Mario speaks:

_"It looks like there isn't going to be any wedding after all. Bowser of all people wrecked the party before it could even begin. I'm not too mad about it. I'm glad that Peach won't marry that creep, Darius. And what was up with that crystal that was handed to Peach? One minute it was pink then black, then nothing at all. But when I looked outside as I awoken from my unconsciousness, the Mushroom Kingdom looked different. Different as though the world is about to end."_

**_Chapter Two:_ **_Gravity_

What has happened to the Mushroom Kingdom? Why did this happen? Did this have something to do with that crystal, the _Tierkreis_? Mario wanted answers and he wanted them now! He left his house, Toad trialing behind, running straight toward the castle. As he ran through the town, he saw he wasn't the only one confused as to what was going on. But Mario didn't seem to care what the Toads were screaming about. He only seemed to care for himself. He continued to run toward the castle, Toad still far behind.

It didn't take too long before Mario reached the Mushroom Kingdom's castle. As he entered, he saw the only people in the castle were Peach, Darius, the Chanceller, Kammy, Bowser, Mallow, Yun, Daisy, Kalan, and Luigi. Darius seemed really banged up after being blasted by the bolt of lightning that emerged from the _Tierkreis_. As Mario shut the doors, everyone looked to him. Peach smiled and ran at Mario.

"Mario! You're alive!" Peach exclaimed, hugging him.

"It's good to see you too, Peach - er, Your Highness." Mario said.

Peach relinquished her embrace on Mario and the two walked to the group of people gathered. Bowser looked angered to see Mario had survived his fall, not to mention he was still infuriated that Darius was to marry Peach. Mario grabbed Darius by the collar of his shirt.

"Okay, buddy, start talking! What happened to our kingdom!" Mario shouted.

"I don't know what happened, sir! Why do you blame me?" Darius asked.

"Because that crystal was your treasure, right! Well, look at what it's done!"

"Mario! Stop!" Peach shouted.

Kalan cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. Everyone looked at the attendant of the young prince.

"I do believe I can be of help there. But I'll only explain if you all stop trying to rip each other's throats out and sit down like civilized people."

Everyone did as followed. The other ten were waiting to hear what Kalan had to say.

"Well, Kalan?" Darius asked.

"Just a second," Kalan muttered. "Anyway, I know you're all wondering what has happened to the Mushroom Kingdom, so I'll get to the point. The _Tierkreis_ was not just a treasure of our kingdom. It was a seal as well."

_A seal? A seal to what?_ Bowser thought to himself.

"A millennium ago, a war broke out between the forces of the Sterling Kingdom and the Umbra Kingdom. The Umbra Kingdom was a kingdom filled with demons of unimaginable powers, their leader was someone by the name of Nerezza. She was the one who was to marry the first prince of our kingdom but he refused her. Nerezza had twelve strong demons by the name of the Makhy, each empowered by the Zodiac: Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, and Saggitarius."

"I see. But what does that have to do with the _Tierkreis_?" Daisy asked.

"I'm getting to that part. Anyway, Nerezza thought that with the Makhy on her side she would be able to conquer the Sterling Kingdom. She was wrong. Dead wrong. The Sterling Kingdom also had warriors that battled with the power of the Zodiac as well. We called them the Wuteyl. The Makhy and the Wuteyl battled for twelve days and twelve nights, each one dying by the end of each day. At the end of the twelfth day, the Makhy and the Wuteyl were dead. The only two remaining was Nerezza and Darius' ancestor, the prince Knayd. The two battled, the souls of their fallen warriors within them. In the end, it was Knayd who slayed Nerezza. As she died, her body shattered, leaving only the _Tierkreis_ behind. The crystal was believed to hold the souls of the Makhy and the Wuteyl... but there was a catch to leaving this crystal behind."

Kalan slowly turned toward Peach and pointed a finger at her. Peach jumped and gasped.

"The crystal was NOT to be touched by anyone who has or had evil in their hearts. Anyone who was plagued by evil who touched the crystal would shatter it and release the fallen Makhy and Nerezza so that the Twelve Day War would begin again. Luckily for us, the Makhy's bodies were crystalized and won't be much of a threat as long as we unite them back into the _Tierkreis_. However, if we are to fail, Nerezza will return, twice as powerful and twice as deadly."

Daisy and the other looked at Peach strangely. Only Luigi and Mario knew what happened to Peach in the adventure at Rogueport. She was possessed by the demon the Shadow Queen, the one who nearly condemned the world to darkness. But even if it were for a while, Peach was still plagued by evil. Now everyone knew why the crystal shattered.

"It's not true! I was never truly evil! I was possessed!" Peach cried.

"It doesn't matter. Now that the crystal has shattered, we have twelve days to reunite the crystals back into one so that Nerezza may not return. If she does, both of our worlds will be destroyed. I say now would be a good time to try and track down the shards now." Kalan said.

"Perhaps I could be of help."

To everyone's surprise, Professor E. Gadd, the crazy scientist from Mario and Luigi's adventures, appeared at the doorway. Luigi put his hand on his head and shook it.

"Not you again." he muttered.

"Professor E. Gadd, nice to meet you again. What are you doing here?" Peach asked.

"Do you know him?" Darius asked.

"He helped me recover my voice from an evil witch one time. He's also helped Luigi save Mario from ghosts."

"Thank you for your kind words, Princess, but now is the time that I explain why I'm here. You see, I too am familiar with the story of the Makhy and the Wuteyl. I think I can be of service to find the shards of your crystal, Your Highness." the professor said.

"How so?" Darius asked.

The professor grinned mischieviously and started to dig through his pockets. This was confusing everyone in the room. _What the hell is he doing?_ Kammy and Bowser thought. After a minute of digging, the professor pulled out a red device that looked like a Nintendo DS, pen and all.

"A DS? How is that going to help us!" Bowser shouted, flames emerging from his mouth.

"Whoa, calm down there, hot head!" Mallow shouted.

"It's not a DS. This, my friends, is what I'd like to call the E. GaddStar CrystalScanner, or EGSCS for short. However, this is just the prototype and it hasn't been tested yet."

"Then try it out already!" Kammy shouted.

"Shut up, hag!" Daisy hissed.

Kammy and Daisy glared at one another, Daisy rolling up her sleeve, ready to fight with the old crone. She wasn't afraid to get a little dirty. While they were arguing, E. Gadd was turning on the EGSCS. It seemed to work out fine. With the pen in hand, he started to move it across the screen, obviously trying to find a shard. Mario and the others, who were arguing, looked over his shoulder, wanting to see too. Finally, after three minutes of looking, the device beeped.

"EUREKA! I'VE FOUND A SHARD!" E. Gadd shouted, thrusting a fist to the sky, nearly hitting everyone.

"Really? What one and where?" Kalan asked.

"There is one in the Rose Town Forest! It says, by the scanner, that it is the Crystal of Aries! Anyone here born from March 21st to April 20th?"

Everyone looked at one another. Eventually, Bowser raised his hand.

"I see then... Your Highness, you did say that only those who were born in the month of the chosen Zodiac may touch the crystal, correct?" E. Gadd asked.

"Of course." Darius replied.

"Then that meansBowser will have to go to the Rose Town Forest to get it." Yun said.

"Precisely! So, you better get going soon! We don't have all day to waste!" Kalan shouted.

Now it was official. A new journey was about to begin again. This time,Bowser had to team up again to find the Aries Crystal shard in the Rose Forest. It won't be a long journey, but the travel would be hell to his legs. He had to get to the Rose Forest before the day was over. But how?

* * *

**Author's Note:** I'm back! I decided to bring back this story because I know I was unfair to all of you who liked this story and it all of a sudden going "poof" on you. I'm very sorry. I wasn't having a good year. I will update as soon as I can, until then, R&R. No flaming. Okay?


End file.
